Affliction
by bumblebee84
Summary: G1: Brawn takes a shot for Optimus Prime and ends up neither dead or alive. Weird things are happening to him. The only one that can see him is a girl named Avery. This young human may be the only one that can bring Brawn back to life.


Affliction- Part1 "A Ghost of My Former Self"

G1 Transformers

The alarm sounded. Large, metal, feet pounded hard against the Ark's floors as many of the Autobots rushed towards Telatran-1.

Ah, the same old drill. Prime calls us forward, we kick some Decepticon rear-axel, lose an arm or two. Then head on back and get rained on by the unholy wrath of the grumpy, old CMO, Ratchet.

Yep, just what I needed. A lecture from Ratchet and a pipe up my aft. Now doesn't that sound wonderful? Exactly.

Reluctantly, I got up from my berth and typed in the code on the panel next to my door. It opened slowly and wearily, just how I felt. I walked out into the corridor and the door to my quarters shut behind me.

"Hey! Wake up Brawn! It's time for action!" Ironhide shouted out over the boom of the alarms. He ran up to my side, put a large gray hand on my shoulder and smiled. I hated that. "Come on, no time for recharge buddy." The red mech pated my back, hard, then sprinted down the corridor. I scowled at Ironhide's comment then forced myself to follow him down to Telatran-1.

"Alert! Alert! Decepticons have been spotted breaching in a nearby mine!" Optimus Prime announced. _Oh for Primus sake!_ _A mine? How low can they get?_ I thought. Optimus turned to his third in command, "Jazz, organize a battle unite."

"Sure thing Prime!" The command officer turned to the rest of us. "Alright, everyone ready for roll-call." Jazz said firmly. He scanned the crowd of Autobots then started calling out are names one, by one.

"Ratchet, Trailbreaker, Gears," Yhey all transformed as their names were called. "Bluestreak, Huffer, Brawn," Jazz continued. "Here we go," I muttered softly as I transformed to vehicle mode.

After Jazz had called out the last of us he turned to Optimus and nodded. "Ready Prime." He nodded also.

"Roll Out!" Optimus shouted out then also transformed; a large city truck now in his place. We all started up are engines then headed towards are fait, whether we liked it or not.

There they were. The Decepticons; all scattered along a deep trench that was dangerously close to the ocean's edge. We cautiously peeped over the side of the trench waiting for Primes orders, many of us eager to jump into battle.

Optimus held a metal finger to his face-plate then pointed down at the Decepticons. We all knew what that meant. I subspaced my gun into my hand then waited. I aimed down at the energon sucking Decepti-creaps, at Skywarp; one of the three seekers. I stiffened my servos and crouched down low, ready to pounce if needed.

"Autobots, attack!" There's primes order. I pulled the trigger and shot the purple seeker right smack in the wing. I could hear his energon curdling screech and then he was gone.

"Dam it!" I yelled out. He used his dam transportation device to blow the scene. That creep.

I gathered up my wits and sled down the side of the steep trench to join in the ongoing battle. I began to slip. _Frag!_ I jumped up off the sliding rocks and flung myself into an unexpected Decepticon. We both tumbled down till we finally crashed into the Earth's surface. I quickly jumped up and with my battle mode kicking online I instinctively sprang out at my opponent. Wrapping my arms around his neck I forcibly threw him to the side and he hit the ground with at _thud_.

I quickly scanned my surroundings. It looked like we outnumbered them by 50%. Oh the pity of it all. Suddenly I felt a hard blow to my back and I fell face-plate first into the sand. Those stupid Decepticons never give up, do they?

Another blow smashed me even further into the ground. I spat and coughed as dust entered my mouth. A heavy force pressed me into the sand, keeping me pined to the ground.

I looked up to see, oh goody, Skywarp. "Back for more?" I hissed ruggedly, sand still logged in my throat. "You dirty little piece of scrap metal!" He snarled then using _only_ one hand, picked me up by the neck.

He really underestimated my strength. Sure I may be only half his size, but I still have a large advantage on my side.

I grabbed his arm and pulled, forcing the both of us into the ground. Jumping to my feet I grabbed his arm once more. Then gathering up all my strength I flung him striate over my head. Who said a mini-bot couldn't be strong? Yay, I'm a mini-bot and proud of it.

Skywarp laid there on the sand for a moment, moaning a bit, then finally came to his senses and warped out of there. Good reddens. He was starting to get on my nerves a bit.

I smiled in triumph then turned to find… Megatron. He pointed an unfamiliar device striate at Optimus. _What is he doing standing there?! Move it Prime or your burning scraps! _

I took off at full speed, ready for anything coming at me. Optimus is are leader and I'm willing to risk anything for him, no matter how humiliatingly stupid the situation might be. "Prime!" I cried out as Megatron fired. And you know what I do next? That's right. I jump. Out of all the stupid things I've done in my life time this was at the very top. "Brawn, no!" I heard Optimus shout out. Too late.

I couldn't believe what was happening. My optics widened. An acute shock of pain ripped through my frame as I was hit striate in the chassis. It felt like I was being poled away. Poled away from my own body. I saw myself. I watched as I smashed into the side of the trench. Then the unthinkable happened. The device Megaron was holding started to flicker at first, but then smoke rose up and a large explosion took place. I saw everyone's expressions as rocks began to crumble; as I along with the whole right side of the trench fell over the edge and into the ocean. They were all shocked. Shocked at the catastrophe of the crumbling trench and some even had worry spread across their face-plates; worry for the fate of a small mech's life as he falls over the side and heads for a dreadful death. Wait a sec… That mech's me.

_What's happening? I'm still here, aren't I?_ I looked myself over. _Yeah I'm here… But… Frag! What Happened to me?! _My whole body was now just blue outlines of what I use to be. And I glowed. K, this has just bumped up a couple notches on the creepy scale. I glanced at my side. "Optimus!" Relief flooded my CPU. He walked right past me; like he didn't even see me.

"What the Frag is going on?!" I shouted out. Everyone was leaving. The Decepticons took a hasty retreat. No good reason behind it ether. All of my fellow Autobots were also leaving, not even Ratchet came to see if I was alright. _What slagers!_

I just stud there like an idiot and let them leave me here. Once everyone was gone I let myself fall to the ground. I raised my fist high in the air then let it fall like a rock. It collided with the Earth with a loud crack. I sure as hell felt that. I repeated over and over till the pain was too much to bear. I stared down at my fist. Nothing. No energon, no dents, nothing.

_How was that suppose to work? What, am I immortal now? Do I feel pain, but not become physically affected by any blows in anyway? Yeah, like that's a possibility. Will I just give up like that and walk away from all of this? Primus no._

I stud back up, a little shaky from all the confusion and pain. I stared at the ground, not sure what to think. I held up my metal hands to about waist height. _In one hand, I have to face the facts that Megatron killed me and I'm just a stupid ghost. And in the other hand… I'm a stupid ghost that's goanna find my way back to the living. Either way, I'd really have to be dead. Do I believe it? Corse not. No "ghost" would ever admit to anything so stupid, yet so very logical._

I let both hands fold into fists. "Would someone tell me whether I'm dead or not? I can't take this anymore! I'm I really here?Am I really offline? Someone just tell me! Some one! Please! It's killing me!" I cried out, frustration and anger rising in my voice. I felt as if my world was ending. As if I was all alone. Like no one could help me now.

I don't know how long I was yelling out there. Hour's maybe. I finally collapsed onto the desert floor. My throat aced. My head aced. Everything just… aced. I let myself just sit there and relax for awhile. I really needed it. I didn't let one thought cross my mind. I just sat there. Then I finally let out one last hiss of words. "I'm… not… dead."

Peering out of the car window I watched as the trees past by. _Everything seemed to go so fast, but yet so slow. You know what I mean? No, course not. No one ever dose. _

My life was falling apart right in front of my eyes. I just want to die.

My parents had just recently been killed in a car accident. Out of all the different ways to die… Now my aunt and uncle are going to take care of me. Me, a sixteen your old girl with a butt load of luggage. I give them a week. They said I have to get rid of some things. Like I care. Like I care that I'm here at all.

I stuck my head out of the window and let my long dark brown hair lift up off my shoulders and sway with the wind current against the car. It felt good; like it was the only thing that could take this heavy burden off my shoulders. That and it was very hot and stuffy in my aunt's car. Me and all my stuff were all shoved together in the back seat. How comfy… Well not very much I can tell you that.

I looked out over the trees. _What… What is that?_ I spotted a bluish, shady figure standing there next to some large maypoles. _K, that's weird_. I kept a sharp eye on it as we passed by. It just stud there staring at me. _Creepy._

"Did you see that?" I asked aloud. "See what Honey?" My uncle answered back, eyes still locked on the road. Man I hated when he called me that. "Never mind," I huffed and sat back in my seat. "OK, then Mary," he finished. I hated that name even more. "I told you, my name is Avery. Not Mary, not Marian, Avery. You know, the name my _parents_ called me."

Sure Marian was my "_name" _name, but who could ever live with it? Yeah, I know. That's what middle names are for.

"I just don't get it," I mumbled to myself. "Why did this have to happen to me?" The frustration, anger… fear… It was just to over whelming. _Am I dead? Am I alive? No clue. _

I passed a long spiraling path that circled around a nearby park. No use hanging out at the Ark so I decided to wonder around the city a bit.

I saw a woman walking my way. She was pushing a stroller with on hand, and holding a phone in the other. She walked right past me. Of course. It wasn't like she could see me. Like any of these humans could see me. I clenched one hand into a fist and swung at air. _Dam it! Why can't anyone see me!_

I took a sharp turn and disappeared into some trees. Confusion flooded my CPU once again. I struck at a few trees with an iron fist. I didn't care about the pain. I just wanted to be heard. And if knocking down a tree or two did the trick that would be fine with me. I smashed my fist hard into a trees bark; pieces of wood flying out on impact. I grinned. _This otta get someone's attention! _ I swing at it again. _What?! _My arm went right through.

I stared at the tree, then at where my arm should have been. I pulled back. My hand emerged from the tree's trunk. _Slag…_ _What did I just do? _I resched out and touched the tree. It was solid. I concentrated for a second. My hand started to sink in its bark. I yelped an quickly drew my hand back. "What the frag is wrong with me?!"

I stumbled back then took off in a sprint. I dogged past as many trees as I could, once and a while I ran right through one. I skidded to a stop at the edge of all the trees to find myself next to a busy highway.

I stud there for a little while, watching as cars sped by. I looked down at my hands. _What just happened? _I stared at them for a bit. Nothing unusual besides that fact that my hands were only blue outlines of what I us to be. Transparent to. I use to be a dark green and gold, now I'm just a mesh of bright blue light. _I really am a ghost… How delightful. _

"Oh, my acing processor," I moaned, rubbing my helmet. I glanced back up at the busy road. I saw a small red car pass on by. A girl peering out the window. Her dark brown hair swayed back and forth in the wind. A streak of light blue hair covered her right eye. She seemed to be staring out at something… At me.

As soon as the car stopped I leaped out the door and into the open. "Fresh air at last!" I gasped, my head tilted back, my arms out to my sides. It looked like I'd just seen the light.

I flipped back the blue strand of bangs hanging over my eye. Yeah, I died it a little. Not like its goanna come back in hand full of karma later. Is it?

I turned to my ant. "So?" I squirmed around a bit. "Room first," She said while handing me a box of my stuff. Man I hate it when she reads my mind.

:Jazz here. It's twenty one hundred hours. Report.: The command officer spoke through his com-link.

:Sides here. Report. No sigh of body. Too much slag in way to search further in sigma 347. Sunny scraped paint job trying to move rocks manually. He's goanna slag my aft. Permission to kick his shiny rear-axel.: Sideswipe answered back.

:You fragen mother slager! Yellow aloe's going to shove pipe up your aft!: Sunsteaker chimed in unexpectedly.

:Frag, Yellow slager! Get off the com-link! Red Lambro is in the middle of important report.:

:Eh! You guy's better weld it shut before…: Jazz was cut off short.

:Slag it you idiotic mother ******* or I'm goanna **** up your ******* aft's with my very own ******* hands!: Ratchet spat into his com-link.

:What language Hatchet. I didn't know that was a word.: Sideswipe answered with a slight chuckle.

:This is no joke Sideswipe. Have you found the body or not?!:

:Negative. The body has not been found. Most likely terminated.:

There was silence for a moment. Jazz entered back on the com-link. :You may return to Autobot headquarters. Jazz out.:

Jazz cut out of the com-link and glanced at Ratchet as if to say, "Good one." Ratchet's excretion faded to a grief filled frown. Jazz nodded, mixed emotions filling his head. Ratchet gestured him to the door and they both left the Control Room.

They walked silently down the corridor. Nether wanting to start into the spark-breaking conversation of what they had just found out about. They reached Prime's office and entered in as casually all possible.

Optimus looked up from some battle reports and nodded at a couple chares sitting in front of his desk. "We have the report on Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's mission." Jazz muttered softly, as if every word hurt. "Go on." Optimus answered. "Brawn's body was not found. They say large rocks from the collapsed trench may have buried the body." Jazz continued a hint of strain in his voice.

Optimus stared at the two for a moment then let out a long sigh. "Thank you Jazz. Ratchet you my leave." The CMO stud up and recently left the room. Optimus turned his attention back towards Jazz. Jazz knew what he was going to say and so did Optimus so he just nodded and gave him a solemn look, "Good luck."

Jazz swallowed hard then got up to leave. He knew what Optimus meant. He wanted him to give the others the news. Man he hated giving bad news.

I woke up late at night. Not sure why. Just couldn't sleep I guess. I kicked off my covers and clumsily climbed out of bed. My pajamas were rugged and old, but I didn't care. They're nice and comfy and that's pretty much all that matters.

I walked slowly down the stairs, careful not to wake up my aunt and uncle. I grabbed a glass from the kitchen counter and pored myself some water. It went down in seconds. I got a couple more glass full's.

When I was finished I just let my head sit under the faucet. Cold water rushed down over my hair and trickled off my nose. It felt so good. The hot summer air seeped into the house and made it feel very stuffy and humid.

I took out a wash cloth from one of the cabinets and dried my face. A slight breeze made the trees leaves rattle outside the window. I walked over to the sliding door leading out to the back yard. Opening it slowly I jumped out and let it shut behind me.

The night sky was beautiful. So many stars were visible, shining brightly. They looked so fee, so separated from humanity. The moon reflected a genital touch of light on the damp grass. I wished I could stay out here forever.

There was no fence so I could see the open trees and way beyond that, the magnificent desert. _It wouldn't hurt if I just walked around a bit, would it?_ I headed into the trees. I looked up to see the rustling leaves reflecting the moon's genital light. A ray of light seeped through an opening in the treetops and touched the Earth's surface. It was just beautiful.

I watched as the stars twinkled brightly in the sky. Then sighing I turned my attention back towards the trees. Then suddenly a cold shiver creped down my spine. I stiffened up and just stared.

I stud there for some time, just staring into space. I was at a loss. It was that weird blue figure. I took a few steps back. My mouth gapped open. The figure stepped closer. _Crap._ "What do you want?!" I shouted out in deep distress. It stepped out into the ray of moon light.

I could see it clearly now. It's bright blue outlines stud out among the rest. A shining light peered out from the center of the it's figure. I stumbled back in grate flabbergast. "You're a… Ghost," I said softly, not knowing what else to say. "Oh really? I had no idea," It said sarcastically while folding it's arms together.

"Who are you?" I asked, my legs shacking a bit. "Wait one sec. Can you really see me?" It asked. I nodded my head up then down very slowly, staring striate into it's bright glowing eye's. "Really?" It asked again, as if it needed me to answer a second time.

"Yeah… Are you a…?" I took a step forward. I've seen something like it before, but not so…. transparent… It's an Autobot. "Yeah, I am." It said. Did it just read my mind? "The name's Brawn."

I looked him over a few times, "Brawn? Um… That's a nice name… It think." He did the same, "You?" I tilted my head a bit, "Uh… Marian. But you can call me Avery." _Wait… Am I really having a conversation with this… Transformer I think they call them. _I gave him a star-struck like look, "So, um… Are all Autobots like… well you know?" I _know _that Autobots are giant, alien, robots from space, but I don't think there suppose to be… ghost like.

"Yeah, uh… no," Brawn sighed. "I'm not sure what's happening to me." I gave him an odd stare. "What do you mean?" He was about twice my height so it was kinda hard to give him exact eye contact. He stared down at me grimly, "I told you, I don't know." He repeated, frustration rising in his voice."One moment I'm taking the blow for Prime, the next I'm left there on the battle field with no clue why everyone left me behind."

I gave him a sympathetic look, then a look of confusion, "Um, you mean your leader." I had heard of the name once or twice. "Yes," He continued, "And now I'm glitch'en out. I can walk through solid objects, yet still touch them without falling right through. And no matter what I do, everyone seems to pass right by me, as if I wasn't there, as if I was invisible. You're the only living creature that has noticed me all day."

I was stunned. _Why was he telling me all of this? Well no, I'm not stupid. I heard him say I was the only one that could see him, but still… Why me? _"So, I'm the only one that can see you?" I repeated. He tilted his metal head and glared down at me, "So far… You're the only one that knows I'm still alive." 


End file.
